


Five days in France

by Tantaylor



Series: Better late than never [1]
Category: Duran Duran
Genre: Anal Sex, Biting, Blow Jobs, Flowers, Kissing, Licking, M/M, Piercings, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:27:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25125424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tantaylor/pseuds/Tantaylor
Summary: Summer in France, a rented villa and a lot more than music.It could be romantic. Maybe.
Relationships: Nick Rhodes/Roger Taylor (Duran Duran)
Series: Better late than never [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1824661
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8





	1. Monday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DonnaTB](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnaTB/gifts).



> Reunion era.
> 
> English is not my mother tongue, no beta.
> 
> Feedback welcome.
> 
> Thank you

Monday  
Nick smiled to himself as he watched Ands and Rog goofing around.  
Yeah, of course, they got older- hell, it`s what, 17 years since they were on a stage together, since they made music together? Almost 18. 

But right now they looked like the boys they were back then, in 1979, when Duran Duran became Taylor/Taylor/ Taylor/Rhodes/LeBon.

The third Taylor just joined him behind his keyboards, grinning.  
“Dang, I missed those two! Funny, huh? I always thought Ands was a bit…well, homophobic. Now look how he`s cuddling Rog.”

“Nah, Nige, Ands was never homophobic. He just felt a bit uneasy around gays. Around me, at least. Too much make up, too openly gay, whatever, but most straight men aren`t very comfortable with it, and that`s ok.”

“I never felt the slightest bit uneasy around you, and I wore just as much make up.” John placed a noisy kiss on Nick`s cheek. “God, it`s so good to be back! So, how do you feel?”  
“I haven't felt this good in years, Nigel. This is so fucking right. I can't thank you enough for this reunion idea.”

“Thanks, man, but that`s not what I meant. How do you feel about good old Rog playing your team?”

That was, in fact, a very interesting question.   
He glanced at the other Taylors yet again ,who meanwhile had got company from Simon and were debating fiercely over God knows what.

Good old Rog. Oh well.

At one of their first joint meetings he had mentioned it, so casually that Nick had asked John afterwards if he had possibly misheard, but Roger had actually said he was gay.  
For real.

To say that this came as a surprise for Charlie, John and himself would be a gross understatement.  
Andy, of course, had known it for years, since he and Rog remained close friends after they left the band.

Ok then, so how did he feel about that? 

He hadn't really given it much thought. Why should he? 

No, okay, that wasn't exactly true. He had thought about it.  
Because, yeah, it was a surprise, that's all, huh?   
It had nothing to do with the fact that Roger had... well, aged rather favourably. Of course not.

“Feels good to have backup on the queer front.” He winked at John.

For a moment it looked as if his best friend wanted to say something, but they were interrupted by Charlie.

“Let`s make some music, fellas!”

And that`s what they did, for hours long, and it felt ever so right. 

Nick couldn`t sleep.   
Though he was telling himself it was the high, the excitement from their first real session together after all this time, he`d to admit that a certain pair of arms, of hands holding wooden sticks clearly added to it.  
With a sigh he tossed the blanket aside and went to open the window. Those June nights in southern France were quit warm, but they were close enough to the ocean to feel the cool sea breeze.

The full moon was shining and Nick leaned out the window.

"Hey!"

Ah, Jesus.  
Right there, right under him, lying in the grass, was Roger. A topless Roger who`s, as the unmistakably smell told him, smoking weed.

“Come join me!”

“I can't believe you're smoking pot.”

“Shhh! Come down. I look at the moon, it's beautiful. It's huge. Seriously, Nick, come down and see. It's totally romantic.”

Romantic? Oh please!   
Nick had never been a romantic. Romance was for hand-holding couples who assured each other of their everlasting love.

Nick knew better. There was no such soft-soap bullshit. Nothing would be forever, nothing was everlasting.  
You were attracted to each other, you had really good sex for a while, and then you went your separate ways. That's what life was like.  
Nevertheless, he stepped away from the window and looked around, looking for something he could quickly throw over, and only 2 minutes later he was out , plopping down next to the drummer.

“John will kill you if he knows you're doing drugs.”

“I have no intention of telling him. Besides, this is my last weed anyway, and I thought it would be the perfect end to a perfect day. Now shut up and look at this fantastic moon. Would you like a sip of wine? They're really good at this, the French, aren't they? They make really good wine.” Roger sat up and handed him a chilled bottle.

“What`s that?” 

“Huh?”

“Is there a tattoo on your back?”

“Ah, that. Yeah. It`s a phoenix. New beginnings and such, you know, new findings, new live, all that, blah blah”

Nick chuckled. Good old Rog seemed to get quite chatty when he`s stoned, huh?

“Are you laughing at me, Nick Rhodes?”

“I would never!” Nick assured, but for some reason he just couldn`t stop laughing and it didn`t take long for Roger to join him.  
After what felt like an eternity he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and looked at Nick almost lovingly. “You can still do it, Nick, that's nice.”

“Do what?”

“Laugh so much that one simply has to laugh along.”  
“You're stoned, Roger. You'd probably laugh at anything.”

“Not true.”

”Nigel has really long legs, hasn`t he? And Simon's nose is really knobby.”

Roger`s slightly reddish eyes widened and he bit his lower lip in a completely pointless attempt not to laugh.

“Ha!” Nick snorted as he failed miserably.

“All right, smart-ass, you're right! Man, now you've ruined the whole romantic mood for me.”

“Romance is an illusion.”

“What's the guy's name?”

“What?”

“The guy who made you lose your faith in romance, what's his name?”

“I never believed in this nonsense, Roger.”

“That's kind of sad.”

“It's called reality.” Nick shrugged.

“So you're more the kind of guy who picks up guys in clubs, fucks and leaves?”

“I wouldn't put it quite so bluntly. One night stands are not really my thing. It`s just that I don`t need all this candle light dinner and flowers-stuff.”

“I like candle light dinners. Flowers, too. Daisies. I love daisies.” 

Roger sighed softly and looked at the moon, which, as Nick had to admit, was actually very beautiful.

“Uh, I think pot with wine was a little much. You finish the bottle. I'm going to bed. Good night, Nick Rhodes.”

And, just like that, Roger stood and disappeared.   
Nick remained sitting for quite a while, drank up the wine and looked at the moon.


	2. Tuesday

Ands sat at the table in the kitchen, sipping his coffee, as Nick walked in.

“Morning, Andy. Where`s everyone?”

“Simon and John are in the studio already; Rog went for a run. You want some caffeine?”

“Gladly! We haven't had a chance to really talk. How are Tracy and the kids?”

“Everything's fine, thanks for asking. Going to Ibiza has done us all a world of good. It's such a peaceful place, rest for the soul. Roger was with us almost four weeks when the thing with William happened.”

“William?”

“His lover. The one he left Gio for. They had a secret affair for months.”

“Maybe you shouldn't lay Roger's private matters out in front of me.”

“Yes, I should. Because this stubborn jackass isn't doing it.”

“Andy..”

“Shut up and listen, Rhodes. William. He was married, just like Rog. They met on a family vacation in Italy and Gio had to leave earlier because her mom had some serious health problems. He never told me any details, but once he was back in England, he called me to tell me he had the greatest sex of his life with a man. Blimey. As you can imagine, I dropped the phone . Roger, no! It can't be. But it has been true. Well, being the good friend I am, I listened to all his crap, huh? Gave me knots in the stomach, man, but it`s Roger and I love Roger and Roger needed a friend, so…I covered his affair. Gave him alibis and such. I thought of it as a phase or something. He`d experimenting for a while and everything would be back to normal. Instead he got a divorce and came out to his family. And William, that lying scumbag, kicked his ass. He didn't want to come out, because in his opinion he wasn't gay, he just liked to fuck hairy men's asses from time to time. Roger was devastated. He had already imagined a future together, you know? He's like that, still the family guy, gay or not.”

“Candle light dinners and daisies.” Nick muttered.

“Exactly. So, Rog came to Ibiza and Tracey and I did our best to give him some comfort, ya know? After William came Sanyi, after Sanyi came Jose, after..”

“Andy, why are you telling me this? I thought you were his friend. You shouldn't talk about him behind his back.”

“Just wanted to make sure that you know it`s real. That he`s really gay. You two should talk. There are just some things that the straight best friend can't understand. I think he's lonely, Nick. I think he needs someone who doesn't get knots in his stomach when he talks about sex.”

Too bad that's exactly what happened. Nick had knots in his stomach.

William. Jose. Sanyi. Uh. 

Somehow that wasn't a very pleasant thought, the thought of Roger having sex with those men.  
No, Nick didn't want to think about that.

Andy took the last sip of his coffee and stood, stretching his arms.  
“Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. I just thought maybe you could-- oh, forget it. I'll go see what the others are up to.”

He was rinsing his cup when Roger came in, and promptly the porcelain shattered in the sink as Nick dropped it.  
Holy mother of god.  
Was that Roger? That sweaty, muscular guy with those illegally short pants and that tight shirt that stuck to his pecs?  
He couldn`t help but stare, with his mouth open and literally drooling.  
And it didn't get better, oh no, because Roger pulled the sweaty shirt over his head and grinned.

"Good morning, Nicholas. Is there any coffee left?”

“Huh?”

“Coffee? Oh, fuck, Nick! You're bleeding.”

Too fucking close! Roger was way too close. He smelled like man and sweat and sex and he was way, way too close as he grabbed Nick`s wrist.   
Deep red blood dripped on the floor and this smell, oh God, it dulled his senses and filled his cock.  
Roger reached past him and grabbed a roll of kitchen paper.  
“Hold your hand under running water, not that it gets infected. We need our keyboarder up and running, man.”  
Nick obeyed as if in a trance.   
Roger carefully dabbed the wound on his thumb dry.

“It's not as deep as it looked. Do we have any Band-Aids around here?”

“I don't know.”

He sounded squeaky. Nick cool as fuck Rhodes sounded squeaky.  
Dude, no!   
Determined, Nick took a step back and hit his hip painfully against the kitchen counter.  
“Ouch! Just go, Roger. Take a shower or whatever, I'll be fine.”  
Roger blinked confusedly, then his eyes fell on the tell-tale bump in Nick's pants.  
Could this get any more embarrassing?

"Please, Roger, just go.”  
And he did. He left.  
Why did Nick find it so regrettable now?

In the next hours Nick managed to more or less suppress the scene in the kitchen. He concentrated on the music, and that was good, because they were brilliant together. The old team. Brilliant.

Only when Andy`s stomach started to growl louder than his guitar did they realise that it was almost six in the evening, and John and Nick headed for the village to buy some groceries, as they decided to have a barbeque on the porch rather than going to a restaurant.

And then the strangest thing happened.   
There were little bouquets of flowers at the checkout counter of the supermarket. The kind you'd bring if you'd forgotten your wedding day, Mother's Day or whatever.  
Tulips and little roses and... daisies.

John looked a bit strange as Nick put a bouquet of them to their things on the belt.

“Flowers?” he wondered.

“Roger likes daisies.”

“Is that so?” Nigel chuckled, his brows disappearing under his bangs.

“Yes, Nigel, it is. Spare me any stupid comments. I don't know what got into me.”

“It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that our drummer looks really hot in those tight running clothes, would it?”

“Just shut up, John.”

“Ha! You're blushing! How cute is that, please? I never thought I'd live to see this. Nick buys flowers for his sweetheart.”

“He's not my... oh, for fuck's sake, stop laughing!”

But John laughed. All the way across the parking lot to the car.  
It was only when they drove off that he got serious.

“Is there something going on between you, Nick?”

“No. Maybe. I don't know. He said he likes daisies, so I thought... god, that was stupid, wasn't it?”

“Actually, I think it's really sweet.”

“I'm not sweet, John. I'm never sweet. This is romantic horseshit, man. He came into the kitchen this morning, you know, all sweaty and yeah, Jesus, sexy as hell, and I dropped a cup and I was bleeding and he got too close and, shit, he smells pretty good, and I'm just a man and I... fuck. I got a boner, he saw it.”

“Nicholas James Bates, you have a crush.”

“Bullshit! I haven't had sex in forever, and Roger's an attractive man, and...”

“Of course. That's why you buy flowers.”

“It's just a stupid supermarket bouquet. It's not like I bought a dozen red roses and an engagement ring. Oh, look, there's actually an Indian restaurant here! Maybe we can go there tomorrow.”  
“Okay, you don't want to talk about it. I'll let it slide. For now. But the last word has not been spoken, my friend.”

They all met in the kitchen to prepare dinner when John and Nick came back with the groceries, and Nick gave Roger the bouquet without a word.

“For me?”  
“Put them in water, they'll dry out.”

Nick felt the collective grin of his band mates at his back, but it didn't matter, because Roger was obviously happy about this little gesture.  
And you could give a friend a nice, harmless present, couldn't you?  
It had nothing to do with romance. God forbid.

After John had assured several times that he would not mind if they drank alcohol, the evening quickly became quite fun. They revelled in memories, told each other funny stories that all started with *do you remember…* and simply got used to one another again.

Renting this house was yet another one of John`s fab ideas, Nick thought as he leaned back and reached for his cigarettes. A flame lit up and illuminated Roger's pretty brown eyes. Then the wind blew out the flame.  
Roger tried to give him fire three times before Nick finally covered his hand with his own to protect the flame from the wind.  
The cigarette was already burning for an eternity when he reluctantly took his hands away.  
Touching Roger was kind of nice.

Simon, who was pretty drunk, slapped Nick on the shoulder.  
“I bet it's easier to get laid when you're gay, right? I mean, kind of straightforward.”

“Of course, Charles, where there's a will there's always a bush. Or a public toilet.”

“Or a sauna. Do not forget the sauna.” Rog chuckled.

“Oh, no, that's too hot for me. The eyeliner's running. It doesn't look sexy.”

“Oh, Roger likes the sauna, don`t you, Rog?” Andy grinned.

“I'll never tell you anything again, Ands!”

“Oh, we all want to hear it, Roger! So you like sex in the sauna, huh? How does it go? Tell us.” Si blurted.

Roger rolled his eyes und blushed a little and Nick realized he didn't want to hear it.   
William. Jose. Sanyi. Some anonymous men in gay bathhouses. No, thanks.

He took one last deep puff from his cigarette and stood.  
“I say good night. It's been a long day.”

“Come on, Nick, it`s not even midnight.” 

"I'm tired, Andy, and I'm going to bed.”

Maybe he would have stayed if Roger had said so. But Roger said nothing.


	3. Wednesday

It was almost like Déjà vu . He came into the kitchen; Andy was sitting at the table.

“Let me guess, Roger's running and the other two are at the studio?”

“No, small changes. Roger is running with John and Charlie is probably still sleeping it off. He was pretty drunk.”

“Figured that. Should I fry us up some eggs? How about an omelette?”

“I'm afraid Roger and I finished all the eggs at four o'clock tonight. I'll go straight to the village and buy new ones. Is there anything else I can get you? Lube, condoms?”

“Funny as always, Ands, huh?”

“I only care about the health and well-being of my friends.”

“How very selfless of you.”

Nick went for the coffee maker and poured himself a cuppa, having yet another déjà vu when Roger and John came in.  
These damn super-short pants! 

“Have you all seen Rogers' body art? Come on, man, strip.  
No, oh please, no! Not again.

“Everyone has seen the Phoenix, Ands. And the rest is nobody's business.” 

Roger marched across the kitchen and disappeared into the stairwell.

"What exactly does he mean by *the rest*?” John wondered, speaking out loud what Nick was thinking.

“You heard him, nobody`s business.” Andy winked. “I'm off to the shops.”

John grinned diabolically.   
“I think Nick and Roger could handle this.”

“Oh, yeah, now that you mention it.” Andy grinned back. “Come on, Taylor, let's go pluck some strings. Maybe Nick would like to buy some flowers again.”

Giggling, the two left the kitchen while Nick wondered why his heart suddenly beat so fast.  
His hand shook a little as he drank his coffee.  
What the bloody hell was wrong with him?

About ten minutes later the drummer came back, hair still wet from the shower.

“We've been ordered to go shopping. I'd go by myself, but I still don't have my license.” he greeted him.

“No problem. Simon's still in a coma. Why'd you leave so quickly yesterday, anyway? It was really fun. Charlie and Andy listed their sex accidents.”

“Before or after you told them about your sauna escapades?  
That sounded kind of mean, didn't it?   
Fuck, no, it sounded jealous!  
“Sorry. It's none of my business.” he muttered.

“You're damn right. Nick. But just to be clear, a whole two times. Okay? Twice I was in that stupid sauna. Because I'm much more into the romantic bullshit, you know? But sometimes you just-- sometimes you just need…”

“Yeah. Exactly. Sometimes you just need. But it's not really... I mean... they never kiss. Fucking without kissing is kind of no fun.”

“Oh, so kissing isn't some romantic bullshit?”

“Jesus, Roger, stop it. I`m not into holding hands under the moonlight , but that doesn`t mean I don`t like kissing.”

“Whatever. Let`s go.” Roger said curtly and was halfway to the front door before Nick followed.  
Shit, that man drove him crazy, honestly! 

This firm butt in these tight jeans, these broad shoulders…  
Fuckable. Totally fuckable.

Goodness, Roger actually opened the passenger door for him!  
A gentleman. A very fuckable gentleman.

After a few minutes of tenacious silence Nick sighed.  
"Pull over.”

“Why this?”

“We need to talk. Stop the car, please. Maybe it's a mistake, Roger, but Jesus Christ, is it my imagination or...”

“Or what?”

"Don't make it so difficult for me, please. I'm really not good at this. I like you. You`re messing me up. I fucking bought you daisies! John laughed his ass off at me, and Andy has nothing better to do than tell me who you've been fucking, and I... I hate it.”

“You hate that you bought me flowers?”

“You're teasing me, right? Okay, maybe I deserved that. I hate the idea of you fucking other men, Roger Taylor. And I like the way you smile at me for bringing you a stupid supermarket bouquet. I'm not gonna start talking gooey kitsch, Roger. You have a hot ass and I'd really like to fuck you, I'm not gonna sugar-coat it. But if I can imagine walking hand in hand in the moonlight with anyone, it's you, okay?”

“That's good to know, Nick. Can we drive on now?”

“Is that all you fucking have to say about it?”

“Now you listen to me, you arrogant little bastard! Who the hell do you think you are? You and me, Nick, we're part of this band. We can't just fuck around, you know? I can't do this, Nick! I like you, a lot, I think you're incredibly erotic and, yes, damn, I've imagined more than once what your cock tastes like .Or what it would feel like up my ass. But I may never be just a piece of ass again, Nicholas, ever! All or nothing, you understand? And in our case, that's a bad thing, because what if it goes wrong?”

“What if it works? Have dinner with me tonight, okay? There's an Indian restaurant, and you like Indian, if I remember correctly. I`m not an arrogant bastard, by the way. I'm just being honest, Roger.”

“Are you asking me out for a date?”

“Yeah, I guess I do. Candlelight dinner. Romantic bullshit. I put on something fancy, use the expensive aftershave and knock on your door at seven o'clock sharp. But you have to drive. We could always take a taxi if you prefer. If you'd like to have a drink.”

“Agreed. Seven o'clock and we take a taxi.”

“Fine. Now we' re ready for the road. If you could just drop me at the restaurant so I can make a reservation. It's right around the corner.”

They did not speak as they drove on.   
Nor when Nick got off at the restaurant, and still not when they entered the supermarket parking lot.  
Only when Roger got out and opened the car door for him did Nick laugh softly.  
“That feels funny.”

“What?”

“Butterflies in my stomach. Tickles.”

“That`s romantic bullshit” Roger grinned.

“Is it?”

“Yep. You promise not to throw up if I take your hand?”

“Well, I can try.”

Roger Intertwined his fingers with Nicks.  
“And? Very badly?”

“Barely tolerable.”

Actually, it felt good. Very good, as a matter of fact.

Roger somehow managed to never let go of his hand. Not until they were back at the car.

“Congratulations, Nick Rhodes, you actually did it. Half an hour of corny hand holding. I am very, very proud of you!”  
And then Roger let go of his hand, reached for his neck and pulled him into a kiss.  
Whereby kissing didn't really describe what happened.   
It was much more a merging into each other, becoming one, it was lip sex and tongue fucking, biting and licking and moaning.  
Roger tasted as good as he smelled. Manly tangy, with a slight peppermint note.  
Nick was pretty damn close to come straight into his pants as the drummer grinded his hips, pressing his erection against Nicks.

“We're about to be arrested for causing a public nuisance” Nick panted into Roger`s hot, sexy as fuck mouth.

“I just wanted to prove to you, Nick Rhodes, that you could do both. Because there's no contradiction, you know? You can hold hands and kiss like there`s no tomorrow.”

“Apparently, because either I'm about to come in my pants or I'm gonna pass out.”

“You taste exceptionally good.” Roger grinned as he stepped back.

“You too. When did you become such a hot shot, Roger? Honestly, when you walked into the kitchen yesterday in those illegally short pants, all sweaty…”

“It didn't escape me that you liked it. But maybe next time you won't cut your thumb off in delight. Because you have really nice hands, Nick. It would be a real pity if there was a thumb missing just because you are so impressed by my muscular thighs.”

Grinning, they put their groceries in the trunk.   
On the way back to the villa, Nick`s hand rested on a muscular thigh and his fortunately fully functional thumb gently stroked the jeans seam.

When they entered the kitchen, loaded with bags, Simon was sitting at the table. 

He smiled happily at them.

“Ah, our very own faggot force, how very nice!”

“He didn't actually say faggot, did he?” 

“Loud and clear!” Nick chuckled.

“You want me to punch him in the face for that?”

“I'd rather not. You need your hands.”

“Yes, that's true, and both of them, as we know!” Charlie giggled.

“You had some weed left over and he found it?” Nick wondered.

“Had phone sex with Yass. Lightens my mood!” 

“Obviously. Make yourself useful and help us put these things away. You don't say faggot, that's a wicked, wicked curse word!” Nick just couldn`t stop grinning. Butterflies. Lips still burning from that hot as hell kiss, all that.

“Really? I didn't know that! And how come Roger had weed and I didn't know about it? What are we cooking today?”

Andy and John joined in; they probably heard the car.  
Fortunately, Simon was clever enough not to mention the weed in John's presence. He unpacked one of the bags, holding up a package.  
“What`s that?”

“Tofu”

“Why are you buying tofu? That's disgusting!”

“Because we have two vegetarians among us, in case you haven`t noticed.” Roger rolled his eyes.

“This stuff's not bad. Roger can cook a stew out of this, his specialty. Will you cook for us tonight, Rog?" Ands put the orange juice in the fridge.

“Not today. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Why not today?”

“He can't today, he has a date.” Nick explained.

John understood immediately. Andy, however, did not.

"How can you have a date? With who?”

“With this handsome green-eyed gentleman over there.” 

Nick's heart performed a little loop when Roger winked at him.

“I'll be damned! Our faggot force is really serious about this whole reunion -thing, huh?” Charlie laughed. “Just do me one favour, okay? Would you please reunite quietly? I need some time to process the fact that our keyboard player is fucking our drummer. Or the other way around, whatever.”

“It says a lot about Charlie that he thinks about fucking when you go on a date, doesn't it?” John shrugged.

“Yeah, what? Does this village actually have a sauna? Ah, sorry, I forgot, Nick doesn`t go into saunas.”

“You know what, Roger? Maybe you should've just punched him in the face.” Nick sighed, but unfortunately the thought of fucking Roger bored itself into his brain like a nasty little worm.  
Romantic - kitschy candlelight dinner. Nobody said anything about fucking!   
But oh, if he fucks like he kisses…

Once again, the music managed to distract Nick.  
And they were good, even better than yesterday. Until the moment when Nick looked over at the drums at the worst possible moment.  
A sweaty Roger with closed eyes, highly concentrated and tense. Muscles flexing and unflexing. The chest rising and falling with rapid breaths, shirt clinging to those pecs, the hard nipples clearly to be seen.   
Oh, for fuck's sake!

What kind of a stupid idea was this dinner anyway? 

Who was he kidding? 

He wanted to fuck him, damn it.  
And Roger wanted it too!   
Nobody who wanted to be a good boy kissed like that! Nobody! 

it was Roger who a little later announced “ Enough for today,” what earned him a smirk from the singer.

“Do you have to get dressed up for your date?”

“Exactly! I'll see you at seven, Nick.”

They all stared at him as he walked out.

“I never noticed, but he has a really cute butt.” John mused.

“And man, did you see the arms? Not bad, huh?” Andy nodded in agreement.

“Speaking of Roger's really imposing physique I cannot fail to mention the part which I helped to bring to everlasting fame with a thoughtless but probably very accurate remark, gentlemen.” Charlie grinned as he patted Nick on the back. 

“Are you done? How old are you guys again, 12?” 

“Don't get upset, Nicholas, we're just having a little fun.” John smiled.

“Yeah, on me. Could you guys be serious for a second? Because the thing is, this is really important to me. It's Roger, damn it. And it's not just any date, because it is Roger. And I really like Roger. It's just that I'm not very good at this whole date-dinner-candlelight thing. Unfortunately, you were right, Simon. In fact, it's usually more straightforward. At least, that's how I've always felt. But things have to be different with Roger, you know?”

“You`re really nervous, aren`t you?” There was nothing ironic in Simon's voice.

“Yeah, Charlie. I... what if he gets bored with me? We don't really know each other anymore. What if we have nothing to say to each other? God, this was such a stupid idea.”

“No, it wasn't. Relax, Nick. It's Roger. Roger's a super nice guy, he's totally uncomplicated.” Ands assured.

“Yeah, I thought so once. Back when I thought he was straight. But I gotta be honest, ever since he said he was gay, he's become a different Roger. The Roger with the cute butt and the great arms and other famous body parts I unfortunately have to think about all the time now. Thanks a lot, Si.”

“I`m sorry, Nick. You know me. I didn't realize how important this is to you. To all of us, really. We need you. Don't worry so much. Gay or not, you know Roger. He can be a stubborn jackass and he would never go out with you unless he really wanted to. He wants it, you want it, go ahead and have a nice evening.”

“You should wear the grey suit. Did you bring it? Roger likes your eyes, and the grey brings out the green. Come, my friend, let's go get you ready for your date.” John hold out his arm.

A good hour later Nick stood in front of Roger`s room. It was much too warm for the grey suit and instead he wore grey linen pants and a white shirt with rolled up sleeves. Casual, but chic.  
Sure, Nick has always been fashionable, but so far he had never cared if others liked what he wore, or whether they liked his makeup , but what Roger thought about it was important. For the first time in ages, he wanted to please someone. That was a very unfamiliar feeling. Then there were the butterflies, and, not to forget, this constant latent horniness. A very peculiar mixture. Completely contradictory and deeply unsettling.  
Nick cleared his throat, then knocked.  
“The taxi is waiting outside, Mr. Taylor.”

“Come right in, Mr. Rhodes. I can't find my shoe.”

Nick opened the door and almost tripped over a heap of clothes on the floor.  
“Jeez, what happened in here?” 

Roger`s head came up from under the bed.  
“Found it!” he said triumphantly and waved his white sneaker. “I…uh.. I didn`t know what to wear, so I just emptied my suitcases. After all, you don't want to look like the biggest bum in the world when you go out to dinner with Mister Style icon himself! So, what do you think? Can you be seen with me like this?”

Nick swallowed. Once. Twice.

Plain black jeans had never looked so good. They fitted like a second skin. And that shirt. Roger's broad chest looked sculpted in it. Which was probably because this chest was chiselled.  
“You look great.”

“So do you. Shall we go?”

“Maybe you should put on the other shoe first.”

“Oh, yeah, right. That would kind of make sense.”

Quite by chance, of course, Andy, Simon and John were lurking around in the hall when they came down the stairs.

“There you are. You look fantastic. Have fun!”  
“Please be home by midnight, kids.”

Roger and Nick were still giggling as they sat in the taxi.   
"They're crazy.”

“Definitely. You smell good, Roger.”

“ Do you think we can make out here, or will French taxi drivers freak out?”

“I don't know. Shall we take our chances?”

“No risk, no fun.”

By the time they reached the restaurant their lips were swollen and Nick had red marks on his face from Roger's stubble.  
The taxi driver grinned lewdly as they got out.  
“Vous êtes vraiment sexy tous les deux.”

“What did he say?”

“He thinks we're sexy.”

Whatever worries Nick had had, they turned out to be unnecessary. The evening went wonderfully. The food was excellent, the wine was good, and they had a lot to talk about.  
“Andy really told you about my lovers?” Roger asked when the dessert was served.

“William, Sanyi and Jose, yes. How many more were there?”

“One. Dieter.”

“Weird name.”

“The whole guy was weird. Why did Andy tell you about this?”

“He thought you might need a gay friend to talk to about sex.”

“Do you talk to John about it?”

“Yeah, sometimes. But somehow Andy's right, huh? There are just some things that even a straight best friend doesn't understand.”

“Such as?”

“I bet the sauna story really shook that poor guy up!”

“You too, it seems.”

“Was it any good, at least?”

“The first time it was, the second time not so much.”

“What went wrong the second time?”

“A little misunderstanding about who is fucking who. But we went out for a beer after we found out that two pure bottoms are kind of incompatible.”

“Tell me about! I know the problem. Many seem to think that wearing eyeliner is a sure sign that you're bottom.”

“Amazingly clichéd, these fags. I never thought so, by the way. Still, it's kind of good to know that I was right. You wanna go for a nightcap?”

“Better not. I'm already fairly tipsy.”  
Tipsy. Horny. Confused.   
How would the Phoenix look with Roger on all fours? Would it seem as if it wanted to fly away when Roger trembles with desire?

“I think I will have another cognac. Oh, just so you know, I don't fuck on the first date.”

“Of course not. This isn't a sauna, is it?"

“Exactly. And you're not some nameless guy you get involved with because you're so lonely and yearning.”

Nick kicked himself mentally in the arse.   
Congrats, Rhodes, you have successfully ruined the mood!  
And apparently he really had, completely and utterly.

The return journey was in silence. No kissing, no touching, nothing.  
Nick thought all the way through what he could do or say not to let the evening end like this.  
It had been so nice! So wonderfully relaxed and uncomplicated.  
Just before they reached the villa, he put a hand on Roger's thigh.

"I'm sorry. I'm a possessive, jealous jerk. As I said before, Roger, I hate the thought that you have sex with other men.”

“Had. Past tense. It's not like you're a virgin, is it? Or a monk who lived in celibacy.”

“That's right. Again, I apologise.”

“Apology accepted. I still don't fuck on the first date.”


	4. Thursday

It was three in the morning and Nick just couldn't get any sleep.  
Three hours ago they had kissed each other good night and Roger had disappeared into his room.  
It had been an almost chaste kiss, nothing compared to what had happened in the parking lot or on the way to the restaurant.  
If that was being in love, then being in love felt like shit.  
He should have known it from the start. This silly sentimental crap brought nothing but trouble.

After yet another round of tossing and turning he gave up. No more sleeping today. He could use the time to go down to the studio.  
When he stepped into the hallway, quietly scolding to himself, he crashed into a rather hard and rather naked man's chest.  
“What the…”

“Seriously, Nick, I hate you! I've been standing outside your fucking door for an hour trying to decide whether to knock or not. You're messing with my head, you idiot! I can't think, I can't sleep and I can't even fucking wank. What the hell are you doing to me?”

“Roger, are you drunk?”

“Yes. No. I'm horny, damn it. And drunk too, but mostly horny. I'll go crazy if you don't fuck me.”

“What happened to I don't fuck on the first date?” Nick just couldn't help himself. It was mean, yes, but he had to do it. He just had to let Roger squirm a little.

“Could it be that you're a wee bit sadistic?”

“Not at all. I just don't want you to be unfaithful to your principles.” He took one of those pretty nipples between thumb and forefinger and pulled gently.

“Ah, God, yes!”

Holy fuck, that deep, desperate moan went straight to his cock.  
He pulled Roger into the room by this beautiful nipple, and Roger cried out. 

“You'll wake up the whole house.”

“Really? I haven't even started! I'm a drummer. Drummers are loud.” 

“And I'm a keyboard player, keyboard players like to play around with little buttons and create funny noises.”

“Uhn.”

“Very nice sound!”

They never made it to bed.  
Kissing, biting and licking they rolled over the carpet, tangled up in a desperate knot. Roger felt so damn good, hard and hot and sweaty.  
Nick couldn't get enough of the twitching muscles under his fingers, the salty skin under his tongue and that sweet, lusty moan. He was really loud. Wonderfully loud. And so deliciously passionate.  
Nick spread little bites all over that gorgeous body and was rewarded with a row of deep growls that changed into sharp cries as he returned to those dark, tantalizing nipples. First with his tongue, then with his teeth, while a hand found its way under the waistband of his briefs.

Roger chuckled when, quite unexpectedly, his fingers felt something metallic.

“No way.”

“Oh yes! I hope you like them.”

“Them? Good God!”  
With a jerk, Nick pulled his pants down to his knees, and Roger's cock slapped against his hard belly with an almost obscene noise.  
There were small bars at the underside of his veined shaft, three of them. Like a ladder. The little balls at each end glittered in rainbow colours.

“My personal little rainbow flag. I can put other balls on it if that's too gay for you. I just thought it was kind of nice.”

Nick stroked gently with his finger over the bars and tapped against the balls.  
“So this is what Andy meant by body art.”

“There's two more. Rings. In the perineum. I really hope you like them. It's not everybody's cup of tea.”

“This is the most erotic thing I've ever seen. Your cock is a fucking work of art. You're full of surprises, Roger.”

“Well, who would have thought it of this shy little drummer, huh?”

“I'm afraid we'll have to leave the fucking for later, shy little drummer. I have to play with these sexy things first. I can't hurt you if I tug on them a bit, can I?”

“No…oooh. Yes, just like that. God, Nick, I love what you do with your teeth!”

Never in his life did Nick think he would be so into piercings. It was absolute heaven. Just the contrast between hot skin and metal, the feeling under his tongue, was divine. But to pluck at the bars with his teeth and elicit these delicious pointed screams from Roger, that was the ultimate thrill.  
He knew already that he would never get enough of it, just like Roger`s kisses. Every once in a while he came up, all the way flushed against that solid chest, skin against skin, to catch the man`s lips with his.  
Rubbing his cock against Roger`s almost drove him crazy. Steel and silk, skin and metal.  
Without any doubt he could come from that alone if he tried, but actually it`s the opposite he was going for. No coming. Not anytime soon. 

The sun was already rising when Nick discovered another, unusual form of beauty. White, creamy seed dripping from tiny metal balls.

He knew it the second he opened his eyes. Even a millisecond before, because he smelled and felt the warm body beside him although he was still half asleep.

The world had changed.  
Significantly changed.

His head rested on a hairy man's chest and he heard a strong, steady heartbeat.  
He moved even closer to the inviting body, wanted to feel as much warm skin as possible, hand going down to a firm, perfect ass cheek.  
If only he could lie here forever, caught in this delicious moment, hear this big heart beating.  
Nick chuckled quietly.  
Romantic horseshit, definitely.

In front of the window a grey, rainy day was visible, untypical for southern France at this time of the year, but a very good reason to stay in bed. It was probably after noon anyway.  
Nick closed his eyes with a pleasant sigh, buried his nose in sweet-smelling chest hair and was about to fall asleep again when Roger moved in his sleep and a muscled thigh laid over Nick's hip.  
That opened up the tempting gap between the pretty, firm globes of this gorgeous butt a little, and Nick couldn't resist. His fingers began to search until he felt the puckered entrance under them. Right between his nutsack and that back door to happiness were two little silver rings, big enough to put one's pinkie through, that`s what he found out a few hours ago. But this time it was rather the little hole that attracted him magically.  
However, one did not attack sleeping people, so he whispered into Roger`s ear.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty.”

His lids fluttered open, and Nick`s heart did a happy somersault when a little smile appeared on Roger's face.  
Until just now he had not realized that this was a critical moment. The moment when your lover woke up next to you and perhaps regretted what had happened.

“Hmmmm.” Rog purred as Nick's fingers continued to caress the puckered skin.  
Definitely no regrets.  
A strong hand gripped his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Actually, Nick never kissed anyone unless he had brushed his teeth first, but that would have meant getting up, to get out of that beautiful bed where that hot guy was lying, who purred so wonderfully and pressed himself against him.

“I want to get inside you. Can you reach the nightstand drawer?” he said hoarsely.

His lover stretched, still kissing him, and came up with the needed stuff. Then he gently pushed Nick away  
.  
“Let me.” 

Roger moved until he kneeled beside Nick, sitting back on his heels. His hands tenderly stroked his chest, then his hips. He enclosed the heavy sack and bent down to lick a drop of pre-juice from Nick's glans, pressing his tongue tip into the slit as he did.  
“You are so delicious!” 

However that man managed to do this, it was a mystery to Nick. How he could be so sweet and at the same time so incredibly hot, so innocent and yet kinky.  
He had a metal ladder in his penis! How could anyone be so incredibly kind, open the door for you, enjoy a cheap bouquet of flowers and have a fucking sexy ladder in his cock?  
Oh, right, and there was more! The phoenix.

Roger rolled the condom over Nick`s shaft and went on all fours.  
“Like that?” He smiled ever so sweetly over his shoulder.

“How the hell did you know I was fantasizing about this since last night?”

“You want to watch Fawkes, I guess.”

“Fawkes?”

“The Phoenix.”

“Your tattoo have a name?”

“How can you not know Fawkes? From Harry Potter?” 

“Could we maybe talk about children's books later? I have other plans for now. Pass me the lube.”

Nick spread a generous amount on your fingers.  
When the first finger breached the tightly closed muscle ring, Roger started purring again.  
With the second, the purring became a growl.  
Nick looked at Fawkes as he finger-fucked the sweet little hole, and it was like the phoenix stared right back at him.  
The wings began to tremble.

In a strange and slightly creepy way the mythical creature looked alive.

Still Nick couldn't take his eyes off it, not even when his cock disappeared inch by inch in the hot tightness that was Roger`s arse.  
Then Roger cried out and the strange animal was forgotten.  
Nothing existed anymore, except the delicious, velvety heat around his cock, the gripping muscles and Roger's lustful screams.  
When Nick collapsed over Roger's back, shivering under the force of his orgasm, he almost apologized to Fawkes.  
Wrapped in the comforting, lazy warmth that fulfilling sex brought, they doze for a while until hunger, thirst and a full bladder drove them out of bed.  
They went to the shower, not together, because otherwise they would probably have starved to death and collapsed completely dehydrated after even more sex.  
Nick was first in the kitchen, where unfortunately all three band mates were sitting. He prepared himself for a round of teasing.

“A wonderful day to you, my friends.”

“Likewise. We are extremely pleased to note that at least one of you is still alive.” Simon smiled.

“I really hope our dear Roger is not only alive, but also able to cook for us.” Ands chuckled.

John didn't say anything. He just sat there and grinned. Nick winked at him.  
He felt so incredibly happy that he decided he didn't care about the teasing.  
Yeah, Roger was loud. That any of the three of them hadn't realized what had happened tonight or just now was absolutely impossible.  
But he wouldn't be ashamed of it for anything in the world.  
Every scream, every groan, every single sigh was his, his alone, no matter how many others had heard it.

His heart seemed to develop the funny habit of doing somersaults at the sight of Roger, this time even two, and only because a freshly showered drummer just entered the kitchen.

Butterflies. Somersaults. Ladders. Fawkes.  
It was a big, confusing everything.  
He pulled Roger into his arms and kissed him.  
A tender, loving kiss. A romantic kiss.


	5. Friday

Ten years later

“It hasn't changed at all.” Simon beamed as he dropped his bag in the hallway.

“You haven't seen everything .” John followed right behind.

“In any case, I'm taking my old room again! Any word from our Faggot Force yet?”

“Would you just stop saying that, Charlie? Roger called, they missed the ferry and are late.”

“Well, if they had taken the plane once, this wouldn't have happened.”

“You know how Rog loves to drive.”

“Yeah, I know. I'd understand if it was a motorbike.”

John chuckled. “Try to imagine Nick on a Harley.”

“Ok, good point. This is where it all started, huh? Our gay dream team. I brought earplugs just in case. Or do you think after ten years Roger might not be quite so passionate?”

“I'm afraid he's still screaming. Three months ago they visited Gela and me in LA, as you know. I swear, we didn't sleep a wink for almost two weeks. But somehow it doesn't bother me. On the contrary. I really wanted to be happy for them back then, but to be honest I was worried. I love Nick with all my heart, but he was a real emotional dyslexic. His relationships never lasted more than a few months, and I thought, fuck, what happens to Duran Duran if they break up?”

Simon nodded.  
“Yeah. I was thinking something very similar. But you know what? When Nick kissed Roger in this kitchen here, in front of all of us, I somehow knew it would go well. I can't explain why, I just knew it.”  
“I only really believed in it when they bought the house five years ago.”

“Oh, man, the housewarming was great. One of the best parties ever. So sad Andy couldn't be there. Speaking of Ands, I hope Nick`s plan will work.”  
************

Nick couldn't stop laughing.

That woman really deserved to run full speed ahead into that gas pump.  
That's what happened when you stare at men's asses instead of looking where you were going.

“Not your league, lady! Doesn't play on your team. Mine!” he chuckled to himself.

The truly sensational ass just disappeared in the gas station shop and the woman looked around embarrassed, hoping that nobody had noticed.

Nick leaned back smiling and held his face into the sun.  
How good it was that Roger had insisted on driving the convertible to France.  
Almost as good as the fact that John had managed to rent the same villa, because next Sunday it was exactly ten years ago that Roger had been standing at his room door at three in the morning.  
The automatic glass door opened and Roger blinked in the bright sunlight.

As usual, he had left his sunglasses in the car. He left them everywhere. There must have been Roger Taylor `s sunglasses lying around in almost every country on earth.  
“"Hello, handsome, all alone?” Roger slipped into the driver's seat and handed Nick his purchases.

“Did you bring cigarettes? "

“Of course, darling.”

Darling. When Roger first called him that, he almost laughed out loud.  
By now he loved it. Because his man didn't just say it, he meant it.  
Actually, he never said things he didn`t mean.  
“Thank you. Here, put them on, you can`t drive without sunglasses.”   
Even after ten years, Nick still had his problems with kitschy verbal expressions of love or cuddly pet names. He preferred to let actions speak.

When they pulled into the country road, his hand was on Roger`s thigh, like it always was while in the car.  
His mom, Sylvia, made jokes about his need to touch Roger every time. 

It had been weird to introduce Roger as his boyfriend, and since they knew his wicked humour, his parents first had thought he was joking.  
Well, at the latest when his mother caught them having sex on the washing machine, there`s no doubt.  
Nick grinned at the thought of it, squeezing Rog`s leg.  
“Washing machines, ” he chuckled.

“Ack! Fuck, that was embarrassing.”

“Only when mom came in, before that it was quite nice. I really like your creativity.”  
Oh man, yes, he really did!   
Ladies and gentleman, Roger Taylor loved sex.  
God, the things they had already tried!   
Never before had it been so easy for Nick to talk about phantasies and hidden desires and actually living them out.  
Ok, alright, could be that he simply hadn`t been long enough with someone to do more than the casual, but still.

They found that the danger of getting caught was a turn-on for both of them, that on Roger`s side, there was a thing for light pain, which wasn`t very surprising considering the metal in his cock, and that they both loved dirty talk.

Nick simply loved Roger. There`s no other word. And no, it wasn`t all about mind blowing sex.  
It was his irrepressible joy in life, his laughter, his honesty.   
His whole personality was completely and utterly lovable.  
That he`s hot as hell didn`t hurt much, though. The cherry on the cake, so to speak.

“Are you hungry yet?” Roger asked. “We could always stop somewhere to have lunch.”  
Yet another thing to add to the *Why I love this man*-list.  
He kinda sensed Nick`s needs even before he himself was aware of them.  
“Now that you say it. You should have brought sandwiches from the gas station.”  
“Have you looked in the bag, smartass? Let`s drive a little further and see if we can find a nice place for a picnic somewhere.”

Nick sighed comfortably, breathing in the French breeze.  
What he had planned, it was definitely the right thing to do.

Actually, he`d known that right after they came back from the trip ten years ago.  
When he woke up in bed alone for the first time in weeks and it felt ever so wrong.   
Not even 24 hours, and he missed Roger.  
That just wasn`t him. He`d always needed some space for himself, time alone. There`s nothing worse than clingy lovers who wouldn`t give you any time for yourself, who won`t even left you enough air to breathe.  
But the air around him felt stale without Roger`s smell in it.   
Nick had refused to call Roger for not even two hours before he picked up the phone.   
The nights he spent without Roger ever since that day could be counted on one hand.  
The first few years after Duran Duran`s reunion had been extremely exhausting, from the recordings and all those interviews and photo shootings to the almost three years of touring.  
They never announced officially being a couple, at some point it was simply clear to everyone.   
No wonder, because they were never able to keep their hands away from each other.

Like Nick`s mom said, it was like they’re magnetic and it`s impossible not to touch, even if it`s just intertwined pinkies or something.

All in all, the fans and the media were quite positive about them being so obviously in love.

Sure, there`s always been a few homophobic bigots, and no matter how cool one was, such hatred hurt.   
But their bandmates as well as their families always spoke up against those idiots, Simon`s emotional outbreaks were legendary, even.

Though knowing it deep inside, it had taken a while for Nick to admit it fully to himself.  
Love. Not just another affair, not just having fun together, love.  
It was when Andy had that minor heart attack after a show in 2006 that it hit him with all force.  
The thought that he could have lost his friend was horrible, the thought of losing Roger was devastating.  
Shortly after their longest tour in band history, they bought a little house in the London area and moved in together.

“ Too bad Ands can`t be here. It isn`t the same without him.” Rog sighed, barely audible over the running engine.  
Funny that they both had to think of him, even though for different reasons.  
Roger missed his friend terribly.  
The guitarist decided to retire after what happened, although he recovered quickly, he thought of it as a warning sign for his unhealthy lifestyle.  
At least once a year they`d fly to Ibiza to visit Ands and his family, and Nick was always looking forward to it, because that place really was like Andy had said in the kitchen of the villa back then. A peaceful place, a rest for your soul, in short distance to a vibrant nightlife with a lively gay scene.

Nick had to change the subject, because he hated lying to his man, even if he had a very good reason to do so.  
Andy would be here. His presence was absolutely necessary for the surprise, not only because he`d bring something utterly important.  
“Is that blanket still in the trunk?”

“What kind of stupid question is that, huh?” Roger chuckled.

Among other things, they`d found out that with their never fading need for spontaneous outdoor sex, a blanket and lube at hand made that a lot easier.   
“Let`s stop over there, looks like behind the trees it`s a good place.”

“For lunch or for fucking?”

“Probably both.” Nick`s hand wandered between Roger`s legs to give his flaccid cock a quick squeeze, leaving it not so flaccid.  
Wasn`t it fantastic that even after all those years Roger`s body still reacted to his touch in an instant?  
Within minutes they found a hidden place, not too far from the road but with enough distance not to be seen from passing cars. As much as they liked the danger of being caught, it`s really more the thought of it than the actual happening.  
The few times they experienced that, it wasn`t the slightest bit sexy, plus they always had to fear that there`d be pics in the yellow press.

They learned their lesson when they once had to face a gang of drunk teens, Rog on all fours with Nick`s cock deep in his ass.  
Lucky enough, the blokes weren`t aggressive and Roger, no joke, got a compliment for Fawkes.  
Nick still had to grin when thinking of Roger`s extremely polite *thank you* for that, even though he`s shock-frozen.

Leaning against a tree, Roger pulled Nick into his lap, his tongue tracing the seam of his upper lip, and Nick opened up for his lover, devouring the tender attack.  
There was nothing more delicious in the whole world than Roger's kisses.   
As if by magic, his hands moved under his T-shirt and stroked warm skin over firm muscles.  
Roger moaned softly as their hard cocks rubbed against each other.  
“I know how hard this is for you, but you'll have to be quiet.” Nick chuckled, catching an earlobe between his teeth.  
“You're gonna have to cover my mouth.”

“Last time I tried that; you bit my hand.”

“So what? You bite me all the time.”

“Yeah, that's because you like it.” 

To prove this, Nick bit boldly into the delicate ear.  
How he loved those little screams!  
“You can't keep it down, Roger darling, can you?”

“Don't pretend this doesn't turn you on, Rhodes!”

“Oh, it turns me on to no end, but the family that might be walking in the woods may find gay cries of pleasure less refreshing.”

“You've said sexier things than that before, you know?”

“You want me to say something really, really naughty, yeah?”

“Oh yes, please.”

“You're a kinky little bitch, aren't you?”

“Yes, absolutely, and I stand by it.”

“Stand is a very good idea. Stand, pull down your pants, support yourself with your hands on the tree and stick out your adorable arse.”

“Nick?”

“Yes, Roger?”

“I'd really like to do that, but considering you're sitting on my lap, you'd have to get up first.”

“Makes perfect sense.” Nick stood and stepped back, watching Roger getting into position.

“Take off your shirt, I want to see Fawkes while I fuck you.”  
Not much preparation was needed as they had fucked extensively in the morning.  
Nick shivered blissfully as his cock slowly sank into the hot, tight channel.  
He loved this moment, this first, slow penetration, feeling the velvety softness around his cock. Especially since they gave up condoms. He never thought that this would make such a big difference, but the first time without a condom he came within seconds, it was so overwhelming. Add to that the knowledge that he had shot his seed deep inside Roger. They had both cried a little because it was such a completely new experience. Maybe also because the need to pass on your seed was so deeply rooted that it didn't matter if you were gay or straight.  
Roger pushed himself towards him, his whole body vibrated with pleasure.  
He growled deeply, as he always did when he tried to be quiet.  
Nick could feel this growl around his cock.  
He pulled out almost completely, grabbed Roger`s hips and rammed into him violently.  
“Yessss” Roger hissed, desperately trying not to be louder.  
“You may scream again tonight, my love. I love it when you scream. God, you're so wonderfully tight. Help me, Roger, milk my cock with your ass.”  
He reached for Roger's twitching cock and jerked it hard, because he would not be able to hold back for long. Too strong was the desire to thrust deep and hard, too good was the feeling of Roger`s strong muscles squeezing his cock. And Nick utterly and completely loved the mere thought of shooting his seed deep inside his lover.  
They came almost simultaneously, and Rog couldn`t quite stifle a scream.  
For some totally primitive reason, it made Nick proud every time.   
That`s mine. Still. I can still make him losing it all.

It was late afternoon when they finally pulled up in the driveway of the villa.  
“Too bad our restaurant is closed, but at least this house looks exactly the same.” Roger said. “Goodness, ten years. Can you believe it?”  
He leaned in for a kiss and Nick knew that he wasn`t talking of the band, of their first sessions.   
He meant the two of them, their ten years together.  
After they had hugged John and Simon long and proper, Roger took their luggage upstairs. Of course they took the same room. The one that had been Nick's in the beginning and then became their shared room.  
The one where Nick had discovered his fondness for piercings, where Fawkes first shook his wings for him.  
Once Roger was out of earshot, he pulled out his cell phone and called Andy.  
“Hey, man!” Ands answered the call.

“Did everything go all right?”

“Perfectly fine, Nick. I`m on my way. Are you guys at the villa?”

“Yeah, we' re all here. When are you arriving?”

“Tomorrow morning at five. Roger doesn't suspect a thing, does he?”

“Certainly not. You know I'm not into that romantic anniversary stuff.”

Andy chuckled.  
“Pull yourself together, I can hear through the phone how nervous you are. You get any doubts now, I'll kick your faggot ass. I don't drive this uncomfortable thing around all over France for nothing.”

“I`m sorry. It was the only seller I could find who had so many.”

“That's okay. Just promise me you won't back out. I've been looking forward to seeing Roger's face for weeks. You have nothing to worry about, the man loves you with all his heart. See you tomorrow.”

The call ended perfectly in time; Roger came down the stairs at that very moment.  
They spent a wonderful evening on the terrace, just like ten years ago. Well, almost, since Andy wasn't there. Not yet, because he just drove a lorry-load of daisies across France.  
Five hundred flowers, 50 for each year, because five was the magic number, right?  
If John, his best friend John, hadn't decided to bring all five of them back together, none of this would have happened.  
Nick would be convinced to this day that there was no everlasting love. That nothing was forever.  
Again and again he felt in his trouser pocket for the small box.  
If Roger got up tomorrow, the whole yard would be full of flowers. And in the middle of those flowers Nick would go down on one knee, asking for an official forever. In his grey suit and with the expensive aftershave.   
But then he'd fuck him blind.   
Flowers, kneeling and an engagement ring were really enough romantic kitsch, huh?


End file.
